ML20030D808
| ML20030D808 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 02700010, 02700047 |
| Issue date: | 09/03/1981 |
| From: | Palladino N NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Pell C SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20030D809 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8109160293 | |
| Download: ML20030D808 (2) | |
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UNITED STATES
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September 3, 1981
,s CHAIRMAN L
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United States Senate V
Washington, D.C.
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Dear Senator Pell:
This is in response to your letter of August 17, 1981 urging that NRC require the resumption of low-level waste shipments from the United Nuclear Corporation (UNC) facility in Wood River Junction, Rhode Island, to commercial burial sites at Barnwell, South Srolina, and Beatty, Nevada.
The UNC license contains a condition that requires them to remove all sludge from the waste lagoons and decontaminate tha lagoon surfaces to unrestricted release limits by July 1,1982.
.nere is no requirement to ship these wastes offsite by July 1,1982.
The decont mination of the lagoon area was started last year, and five small lagoons were decontaminated.
Processing of the sludge from the remaining lagoon, which is the largest, was started the week of July 27, 1981, and UNC estimates that it will be completed within three months.
The NRC staff will continue to monitor the progress of this decontamina-tion effort to assure that the license conMtion to decontaminate the lagoons by July 1,1982, is met and that the wastes are packaged and stored in such a manner so as to protect the health and safety of the public.
Meanwhile, UNC will continue to ship the maximum volume of waste allowed by the disposal company in Barnwell, South Carolina (515 cubic feet per month).- Because of additional requirements imposed on them by the burial UNC petition to have the Department of Energy (D0E)g waste there until the site at Beatty, Nevads, UNC wishes to' defer shippin accept the waste in accordance with PL-96-573 is resolved.
Your letter mentions that members of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation and Governor Garrahy have met with Secretary Edwards to discuss the possibility of DOE accepting these wastes.
There are precedents for DOE to accept wastes from licensed facilities, but most of these were contracted agreements made between DOE and the licensee.
In the memoran-dum of understanding between DOE and NRC for disposal of Three Mile Island wastes (copy enclosed), DOE agreed to accept wastes that could not be disposed of in a'comercial licensed burial ground.
The low-level wastes associated with decontamination will be disposed of by the licensee in licensed commercial low-level burial grounds.
Ch NkC CORRESPONDENCE PDR
F The Honorable Claiborne Pell You also requested information concerning the circumstances, if any, under which the fiRC could transfer their property in Wood River Junction to either the State of Rhode Island or an agency of the Federal Government.
I have asked our Execu.tive Director for Operations to consider this question and to provide you with a response.
At my Senate confinnation hearing. I stated that I would work to achieve a solution to this problem that would adequately protect the health and safety of the people in the vicinity of the Wood River plant. The NRC 3 will monitor the UNC situation closely to assure that ray comitment 3,
is sept.
Sincerely,
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Nunzio y! Pe17adino
Enclosure:
As stated
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Memoranduin of'Uncerstanding Between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the.
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U.S. Department of Energy Concerning the Removal and Disposition of Solid Nuclear Wastes from Cleanup of the Three Milt! Island Unit 2 Nuclear Plant I.
Objective This memorandum o understanding specifies loteragency procecures for the removal and disposition of nuclear wastes resulting from cleanup of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 plant.
This will help to ensure that the TMI Site does not become a long-term waste disposal facility.
II.
NRC Roles and Resoonsibilities The NRC has the responsibility under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as amended (42 E.S.C. 2011 et seq.), to regulate all licensee, activities at the THI-2 site, including waste management, and ensure these activities are carried out in accordance with the requirements of applicable rules and' regulations and the requirements of Facility Operating License Number DPR-73, as modified by amendments or orders issued by the NRC.
NRC will carry out its responsibilities by onsite observation of licensee activities.
As required, policy, and technical support will be provided to the NRC TMI Site Office by NRC Headquarters and Regional Office (s).
NRC will work cooperatively and cicsely with the DOE, and will keep DOE fully and currently informed of NRC's activities.
NRC will continue to keep public, sta' e and, local officials informed of t
NRC's activities.
When appropriate, NRC will inv'olve DOE in these information exchanges with the public, state and local officials.
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III.
DOE Role and Resoonsibilities Where DOE determines that generically beneficial research, development and testing of the THI-2 accident generated solid wastes can be carried
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out, DOE will perfbrm such activities at appropriate DOE facilities.
For those other wastes that cannot be disposed of in commercial low level waste facilities, DOE may also assume responsibility for removal, storage, and disposal to the extent that the licensee provides reimbursement to the DOE.
These activities will be undertaken to the extent consistent with appropriate statutory authority.
NRC licensing
. of DOE facilities that are utilized for storage, processing or disposal
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of TMI-2 accident generated wastes will not be required since these facilities have primary uses other than for receipt and storage of wastes resulting from licensed activities.
The DOE will provide technical support to the licensee and the NRC as deemed appropriate.
DOE will work closely with th9 NRC and keep NRC informed of DOE's activities.
IV.
fyrrently Ider'ified TMI-2 Accident Cenerated Solid Radioactive Wastes 1
The following lists those TMI-2 accident generated solid radioactive wastes which currently exist or are planned to be generated.
This listing may be modified in the future as the cleanup progresses.
1.
EPICOR-II System Wastes Forty-nine ion exchange resin liners with loadings up to 1500 curies / liner are in temporary storage at the TMI-2 site.. DOE ' plans todevelopaprototypehighintegritycontainer(HIg), production
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units of which, if utilized by the licensee, may alloa these liners to be acceptable for licensed disposal in commercial land burial facilities some 1-2 years from now.
DOE is also performing characterization experiments on one of these liners and may find it desirable to extend its'R&D program to other liners.
Should a more expeditious handling of these wastes be required due to the potential for a limited release to the storage environment,(which could cause public concern), a contingency plan will be implemented wherein 90E would at its discretion take receipt of these EPICDR I
liners on a reimbursable basis from the licensee for storage or disposal.
Future EPICDR II liners are anticipated to be loaded to allow commercial shallow land disposal effsite by the licensee.
2.
Submerced Demineralizer System Wastes l
It is anticipated that the dispersed radioactivity in accident generated water will be deposited on zeolites in submerged demineralizer system (SDS) liners.
Due to the unique character and j
nature of these wastes, DDE will take possession of and retain these l
l liners to conduct a waste immobilization research ano cevelopment l
.and testing program.
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Reactor Fuel The present plan for the damaged core is to remove the fuel, provide appropriate fuel assemblies and samples to DDE for analysis characterization and archiving, place the balance in fuel storage 9
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4 containers, and store the fuel in the"THI Unit 2 spent fuel storage pool.
As is the case with other nuclear power plant spent fuel, disposition'of the balance of the TMI-2 fuel will await resolution
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of the spenf. fuel storage issue.
4.
Transuranic Contaminated Waste Materials As the cleanup progresses, some waste materials (e.g., sludges) may be found to be contaminated with transuranics at levels above which commercial low level burial facilities are authorized to accept.
Alternatives for such material will be considered on a case-by-case basis and could include archiving, R&D evaluation or temporary storage onsite, or at a GDE facility awaiting further processing and/or disposal in a permanent repository offsite.
Depending on the nature of these mater'ials, DDE)s activities could either take the form of an R&D program of generic value, or would be subject to reimbursement by the licensee.
5.
Makeup and Purification System Resins and Filters During the TMI-2 accident, the makeup and purification system demineralizer vessels and filters were highly contaminated by letdown of reactor coolant through the system.
These resins and filters have not been characterized, however, based on radiation measurements, the resins and filters sre believed to have specific activities well in excess,of the loadings on the high specific i
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activity EPICDR-II prefilters and are considered unsuitable for commercial land disposal.
Due to the generic.value of the t
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information to be obtained and the very high specific activities of the filters, DOE will take possession ara retain these filters for research and development activities.. DOE's activities regarding the purification system resins will either take the form of an R&D prograo of generic value, or DOE will take possession of these resins for storage or disposal on a reimbursable basis.
6 Other Solid Radioactive Wastes The low-level wastes associated with decontamination (e.g., some ion exchange media, booties, gloves, trash) will be disposed of by the licensee in licensed commercial low level burial facilities.
V.
This Memorandum of Understanding will take effect when it has been signed by the authorized representative indicated below for'each agency.
DOE and NRC shall each have the right with the consent of the other party to modify this agreement.
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FOR THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY M
Eernard J. Snyaeg Program Director Frahklin E Coffmay/'
.TMI Program Office Acting Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulations Office of Coordination and Special Projects 7/6/8/
l Date:
Office of Nu lear nergy 7, N, f/
Date:
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